at least define and neaten the borders; and highlight the front entrance (where is it?).

I agree your plantings are too small in scale -- but maybe they're still growing?

If it were me, I'd also want to put a focal point in the middle of the lawn -- a tree, a circular bed with a fountain, or something like that.

tree(s) are needed! And a bench would look nice under the tree. I would not "break up the yard". And Dit toe what Vilolet said, where is the entrance?

The front entrance is next to the driveway. Do you think that planting along the driveway edge leading up to the entrance would help highlight it?

When I moved into the house, the foundation bed was a narrow rectangular strip where the only surviving plant life consisted of weeds. I redefined the bed shape, cutting a v-shaped channel for to keep the grass from encroaching, per the suggestion of Roger Cook on an episode of Ask This Old House, but I do not think I brought the bed out far enough.

The boxwoods will not grow to more than 3 feet within the first 10 years. I didnt do enough research before purchasing them.

I am considering putting a peanut shaped island bed in the middle of the lawn (my 6 year old daughter's idea), but am unsure of the scale. I have serious deficits in the area of scale and spatial relationships.

I agree that some kind of tree would be a nice addition. I would position the trunk to coincide with the porch bump out and the left black shutter. That appears to be the center of the lawn. A peanut shape would be pretty around it, but you may want to consider how hard it will be to manuever the mower around it. How about a bench next to the steps? I think that would be a nice touch, but you have have to do a little more that just putting one there. Like dig it out, level with the driveway and a small retaining wall to hold the soil from yard. One thing my parents had when I was a kid was a "burning bush" and a white rock at the end of the driveway and sidewalk. It was like the beacon to lead to the front door. You could make the shape of it mirror the shape around center tree. Adding a nice line of flower bed down the driveway would look real nice too, as you mentioned. Perrenials are always a good idea. Water and weed, and no replanting every year. Keep us posted what you decide to do. Happy Gardening!

I had a 50-60 ft sugar maple on the northwest corner of the yard, but it had a split down almost to the ground so I had to have it taken down. I may have a problem with putting another tree in the yard due to local codes regarding distance from buried utilities, but I am considering some sort of dwarf flowering tree.

"I am considering some sort of dwarf flowering tree."

I agree that a small tree in the front right corner of the pictured lawn would look nice; maybe something like a flowering cherry or a dogwood.

IMO the front left could be enhanced by a large rounded white flowering spirea or other shrub. Forsythia will grow more rapidly but can become ungainly unless skillfully chosen as to size and pruned correctly, whereas the spirea will grow move slowly and look good without pruning. A large sun tolerant rhododendron would also look nice, but there are many medium sized flowering shrubs to choose from. The viburnum family has many attractive shrubs and their wood is strong enough to sustain a central landscaping role, but you would want one that would not just grow vertically. (Some of the larger viburnums could even take the place of a small tree). A wedding spirea has a nice rounded shape and their wood is also fairly strong, although the stems are finer.

Oak leaf hydrangeas are very attractive and will grow to a good size, but they like more moisture and shade. Additionally, as with all hydrangeas, their wood is very fragile and they will not stand up to much punishment.

I like the bench idea, and have found a bench near the entryway to my own home to be very useful for such things as temporary placement of items going into or out of the house. A little white bistro table and pair of chairs on a tiny patio there might serve the same purpose and be a nice place to have some morning tea...and a bench under the proposed tree would also be nice.

A fountain is always a nice addition, and there are even small floating water pumps now with built in solar power. That would be nice on the inner edge of your patio, and the previously mentioned front shrub would give you a bit of privacy and a place for birds to perch.

The most important thing is planting to suit how you want to use this space, so it will be convenient, comfortable, private, and shady enough to enjoy. Right now you also have enough sun for a lovely herb garden in a little raised bed, maybe even in a peanut shape, or you could include a few pots of herbs to edge your patio. Potted plants can have more immediate impact than plants in the ground because the pots elevate them, making them more noticeable, and fragrant herbs are very pleasant and more accessible than those in the ground. Pineapple sage gets quite large in the course of a summer but is not winter hardy in temperate zones. Colored or white pots will stand out better; and in general light colored flowers will also be more noticeable than dark ones. I suggest white bistro table and chairs and white bench because they, too, will stand out and contrast nicely with the color of your home, IMO.

Enjoy your new outdoor space!

So far I am think planting along the driveway edge is a done deal. Whatever I plant has to be able to stand up to lots of snow. I had 10+ inches of snow on the ground for most of this past winter.

Planting a tree in line with the porch bumpout would be a no go, as that would place it immediately over the natural gas line going to my house. I could place a shrub of some sort or an ornamental grass in an island bed as the focal point in the center of the yard, as neither will have as deep of a root system as a tree.

I mainly intend to use the front lawn as a place for my daughters (aged 5 and 6) to play, read, or draw. The latter 2 uses are the reason I want to put a bench there. My daughters asked for a "purple bench with minions and rainbows on it."

A patio may be doable, as my neighbor is a mason and has offered to lend me some of his equipment for exactly that purpose.

if it's mainly a play space for young children, a nice fence around the perimeter for privacy and security would be ideal. Trees where you can put them -- they need not be big to provide shade.

I can picture a Limelight hydrangea on the right side to help block the view of the neighbor's drive, especially from your porch area. They get large eventually and can be trimmed into a multi-stemmed tree form if desired.

A row of Annabelle/Incrediball hydrangeas (I prefer the latter of those) would look awesome, imo, across the front. But I'm not a designer, can't visualize placement well, and haven't addressed the need to draw the eye toward the entryway.

If your kids want to play in the front yard, "play" may change as they get older, so I'd be hesitant to break it up too much.

I found a shasta viburnum that I like for $60 at a local garden center. This would be my lawn centerpiece. I looked at small trees as well, but I cannot fit them into my Prius and don't want to pay a $50 delivery fee, as I live 2 miles away. Any thoughts on the suitability of this plant as a centerpiece or the price of the plant?